LIV Golf is at a phase where the top names are making their exit from the league.

Bryson DeChambeau has repeatedly displayed his loyalty to the Saudi-backed league. With that, the golfer garnered an unusual endorsement from Scott O’Neil himself. 

Claiming that DeChambeau is “the biggest star in the game of golf,” the LIV Golf CEO branded him as an “elite human being” and a “social media darling.” And that’s the mission for the LIV golfers. O’Neil affirmed that the two-time major champion understood the mission and the vision. 

“Who in their right mind wouldn’t put him on the list? This is a generational talent – and I don’t mean golfer,” O’Neil continued. “Everything he stands for is good about the game and good about this next generation of golf, and I expect him to be at LIV for a very long time.”

Bryson DeChambeau has a massive fan following of more than 4.3 million on Instagram. His interactions with his fans are quite heartwarming. Remember the time when he randomly asked a stranger to play some golf with him? Acts like that make him one of the most loved entities in golf. Well, O’Neil certainly knows that. 

Addressing DeChambeau’s public commitment to the Saudi-backed league, the LIV Golf CEO said, “Having him stand up and say ‘I’m in’ was really nice – [and] not a surprise to me at all.”

But why didn’t Bryson DeChambeau return to the PGA Tour like Brooks Koepka did?

The Reason Bryson DeChambeau’s Stay at LIV Golf

On 13 January 2026, during a press conference of the LIV captains, DeChambeau was asked if he’d return to the PGA Tour under the Returning Member Program. Since he won the 2023 PGA Championship, he’s eligible to make a return. But he had some unanswered questions. 

“[I had] no idea what the penalties would even be,” he confessed. “Right now, I’ve got a contract. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do at LIV Golf this year.”

And regarding the contract, he called it an “ever-evolving conversation” while talking to Today’s Golfer’s Ben Parsons. 

“It just has to make sense for both sides, and we’ll move forward in a cool direction if that’s the case. I certainly don’t want to let [my Crushers teammates] down.”

DeChambeau’s stance signals stability for LIV Golf, as loyalty and long-term alignment outweigh uncertainty created by exits and shifting allegiances. But will the trend continue in 2027?

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu